Pill-forming machine.



A. canon.

FILL FORMINGMAGHINE.

(Application flle 1 Dec. 22. 1900.) I

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheetl.

Patented Nov. 2s, I90l.

WITNESSES. IN VEJVTOR.

".11 ttorn ys.

m: m'mms PETERS cc. PHOTO-UTHO" wAs mNaYoN. c. c.

A. COLTON.

PILL FORMING MACHINE.

N0. ss7,|99. "Patented Ndv. 26, 190:.

(Application filed Dec. 22, 1900.)

(No Model.) ZSheets-Shaet 2.-,

Attorneys.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR COLTON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PILL-FORMING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,199, dated November 26, 1901. Application filed December 22, 1900. Serial No. 40,712. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR CoLToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pill-Forming Machines; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to pill-forming inachines; and the object of my improvements is to provide an improved machine that shall form the material into an ellipsoidal or ovate form.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention, the outer end of the feeding-trough being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section on a plane per pendicular to the paper, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the upper part of the machine looking from the back of Fig. 1, a part of the flange of the upper disk being broken away. Fig. 5 is an elevation looking at the same side as in Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.

The feeding-trough is omitted from Figs. 2, 3, 4., and 5.

A is the base, and B the standard, of the machine.

0 is a disk, and c a sleeve projecting down ward from the center of the disk. Said disk and sleeve are pivoted upon the upper part of the standard B somewhat below its upper end and fixed in position by the lower end of the sleeve 0 resting upon an annular ledge 1). Around the outer edge of the disk 0 is formed a depressed ledge a.

D is a disk fixed to the standard B, at the upper end thereof, above the disk 0 and axially in line with the disk 0 and standard B.

d is a flange extending downward from the edge of the disk D. The flange d is of such a diameter and length that it extends around the edge of the disk 0. The disk D is cut away from c to f, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

S is a cap forming part of the disk D, closed at its upper end and provided with a setscrew s, which bears upon the upper end of toning is only in one place.

the standard B and serves to adjust the plate D vertically.

G is a ring extending around the outer edge of the disk 0 and resting upon the ledge a.

H is a ring extending around the outer edge of the disk D inside of the flange d and cut away from c to f to correspond with the disk D.

gis a groove formed around the ring G in its upper surface having the elliptical or oval form in cr0ss-section of one-half the crosssection of the pill to be formed.

his a groove in the lower surface of the ring H entirely similar to the groove 9 and registering therewith. The groove h is made slightly trumpet-mouthed where the material passes-between thetwo rings, as indicated in Fig.5. Grooves of different sizes may be formed in the opposite faces of said rings, so

that they may be turned over to form a pill of a different size, or new rings with different-sized grooves may be substituted.

I I are openings in the surface of the ring G where it bounds the groove 9, formed by saw-kerfs, drilled holes, or the like extending to the outside of the disk.

J, Fig. 4, represents slots cut at intervals radially in the ring H to a depth a little greater than the depth of the groove h and about twice as wide as deep. The pill mass sometimes is somewhat flattened at the top or bottom, so that the friction of the relatively moving surfaces is insufficient to turn it over against the resistance that the irregular pill mass would make to the necessary deformation required to let it turn over. This fiati If the piece of pill mass can be got out of that one position, it will roll. Now when the piece of-pill mass comes to an enlargement in thegroove it may turnover without being obstructed by the walls of the groove and will be turned over before again entering the smaller portion of the grooves. The disk-D is so located that the ring H rests upon the ring G.

L is a feed-trough by which the material divided into proper pieces is fed to the machine.

M is a worm=wheel secured upon the sleeve 0.

N is a shaft resting in bearings upon the standard B.

m is a worm upon the shaft N, meshing with the wheel M.

n is a pulley upon an outer end of the shaft N.

The operation of the above-described device is as follows: The pulley 12 is driven by a belt, causing the rotation of the disk 0 by means of the worm and wheel m M. The material divided into suitable piecesas, for instance, small cylinders, each containing the amount of material necessary to form one pill-is placed in the trough L and rolls down into the groove g and is carried by the rotation of the disk 0 between the rings G and H in the grooves g h. The groove g being bounded by the surface of the ring G, where it is roughened by the edges bounding the openings I I, and the ring G having a motion of rotation, while the disk D, and consequently the ring H, is stationary, the material is rolled between the two and given the shape of the grooves in longitudinal section and a circular shape in cross-section. Should a piece be carried along without rolling for a short distance, it will come into one of the slots J in the upper rings, where its upper part will be cut out of contact with the upper ring H and it will be caused to rotate before again entering the grooves beyond said slot, when its upper part again contacts the ring II.

In practice I feed the material to the trough L in spherical pieces which are covered with dry flour to obviate any danger of their sticking to the metal forming-surface. I prefer to feed such pieces continuously to said trough as they come out of my machine for continuously making spherical pills, an application for a patent for which I filed January 28, 1901, having the serial number 44,981. By slightly varying the distance apart of the disks C and D and rings G and II pills of somewhat varying sizes may be formed.

What I claim is 1. In apill-forming machine, two parts, one of which is movable relative and parallel to the other, said parts having approximately parallel surfaces, each of said surfaces being provided with a groove having the shape in cross-section of half the pill to be formed, one of said parts being provided with apertures extending from the outside into the groove that is in its surface, substantially as described.

2. In a pill-forming machine, two parts, one of which is movable relative and parallel to the other, said parts having approximately parallel surfaces, each of said surfaces being provided with a groove having the shape in cross-section of half the cross-section of the pill to be formed, one of said parts having a slot or slots to form an enlargement of the groove therein, said enlargement being intermediate in the length of the groove, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a pill-forming machine, a horizontallyrevoluble disk, a second disk located above and adjacent to the first-mentioned disk, said disks being provided with circular concentric grooves in their adjacent faces, the upper disk being cut away to permit access to the groove in the lower disk, and means for producing a motion of said lower disk relative to the upper disk, substantially as described.

4. In a pill-formin g machine, a horizontallyrevoluble disk, a second disk, located above and adjacent to the first-mentioned disk, said disks being provided with circular concentric grooves in their adjacent faces, the upper disk being cut away to permit access to the groove in the lower disk, means for feeding the material to the groove in the lower disk where the upper disk is cut away and means for producing a motion of said lower disk relative to the upper disk, substantially as described.

5. In a pill-forming machine, two parts, one of which is movable relative and parallel to the other, said parts having approximately parallel surfaces, each of said surfaces being provided with a groove having the shape in cross-section of half the pill to be formed, the surface of one of said parts where it bounds the groove therein, being roughened, substantially as described.

6. In a pill-forming machine, two parts, one of which is movable relative and parallel to the other, said parts having approximately parallel surfaces, each of said surfaces being provided with a groove having the shape in cross-section of half the cross-section of the pill to be formed, one of said parts being cut away so as to permit of the continuous feeding of the pieces of pill mass to the machine and the removal of the finished pills, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR COLTON.

Witnesses:

MAUDE M. KENNEDY, ELLIOTT J. STODDARD. 

